When trying for a baby, try to eat healthfully

Tuesday

Aug 1, 2017 at 2:01 AM

Q: Is there a diet that will help a woman get pregnant?
A: If you're over- or underweight, getting to a healthy weight range is one of the most important steps you can take to boost your fertility. There appears to be a "fertility zone" for weight. But this doesn't mean it's time to crash diet. Your body needs to know the food supply is reliable and nutritious before bringing a baby on board.

Men also need to follow a healthy eating plan and get to a healthy weight to boost fertility. Being overweight can have a negative impact on testosterone levels, sperm count and motility.

There has been some headline-grabbing buzz that low-carb diets increase fertility. But we don't know enough about the effect of these diets to recommend them during the pre-conception period. Further, overdoing it on animal protein probably isn't helpful.

Researchers have found that the more women ate fast-absorbing carbs such as white bread, white rice, potatoes, soda and candy, the higher their risk for ovulatory infertility. They also observed that eating slow-absorbing carbs such as vegetables, whole grains, beans and lentils can provide a fertility boost. As an added bonus, a high-fiber diet reduces the risk of gestational diabetes.

Consuming one to two servings of full-fat dairy products a day has been linked to increased fertility, while low-fat versions showed the opposite trend. It seems that having some whole milk or higher-fat yogurt could positively affect ovulation and conception, because the cream component of milk influences its balance of sex hormones.